News in September

GPs to be offered training to deal with children affected by domestic violence1 October 2015A study led by the University of Bristol, in collaboration with University of Central Lancashire, found many GPs and practice nurses are uncertain how to manage consultations involving children exposed to domestic violence. The research has led to the development of a new training programme for clinicians dealing with some of the complex issues around abuse.

New Dean of Social Sciences and Law30 September 2015Professor Paddy Ireland, currently Professor of Law at the University, has been appointed to Dean of the Faculty of Social Sciences and Law, which will take effect from 16 November 2015.

Scientists determine colour of ancient mammals28 September 2015What colour were the animals that roamed the Earth 50 million years ago? For the first time, the original colour of a fossil mammal has been described by scientists from the University of Bristol, UK and Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, US.

University rowers win gold28 September 2015Bristol staff members Dr Ulrike Bauer and Dr Sven Friedemann triumphed at the 2015 FISA World Rowing Masters Regatta in Hazewinkel, Belgium earlier this month.

Duke of York visits SETsquared Bristol28 September 2015SETsquared, the partnership between the universities of Bath, Bristol, Exeter, Southampton and Surrey, hosted a selection event for Pitch@Palace at Bristol’s Engine Shed earlier this month.

Building a better campus: University of Bristol unveils plans for the future28 September 2015As thousands of students return to the city for the new academic year, the University of Bristol has announced the next stage of its £525 million capital investment programme. It has spent over £150 million in the past three years to create outstanding new facilities to benefit students, as well as staff and visitors.

Bristol scientists become EPSRC Quantum Fellows28 September 2015Two Bristol academics are among the recipients of a Quantum Technology Fellowship, funded by the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) to support the UK’s activities as a world leader in quantum science and technologies.

City centre site transformed into new student accommodation25 September 2015A brand new property for students has been opened on historic Trenchard Street, in the heart of Bristol, thanks to a partnership between the University of Bristol and Bristol-based accommodation provider Unite Students.

How fossil corals can shed light on the Earth’s past climate 24 September 2015In a paper published today in Science, researchers from the University of Bristol describe how they used radiocarbon measured in deep-sea fossil corals to shed light on carbon dioxide (CO2) levels during the Earth’s last deglaciation.

Bristol engineer appointed Fellow of Royal Academy24 September 2015Professor Michael Wisnom from the Department of Aerospace Engineering has been elected a Fellow of the Royal Academy of Engineering in recognition of his outstanding contribution to engineering.

Bristol welcomes Australia’s leading poet, Les Murray 18 September 2015Les Murray, Australia’s foremost poet and one of the greatest contemporary poets writing in English, will give the Bristol Poetry Institute annual reading for 2015 on Thursday 1 October in the Great Hall of the Wills Memorial Building.

New professorial promotions at Bristol17 September 2015Following this year’s round of academic promotions, the University has announced the names of staff newly promoted to Professor, Honorary Professor and Reader.

Buprenorphine reduces mortality risk in first four weeks of treatment16 September 2015Patients who start treatment for dependence on opioids are five times as likely to die in the first four weeks when they are prescribed the most commonly used treatment, methadone, than with an alternative treatment, buprenorphine, a study by researchers at the University of Bristol, King’s College London and the National Drug and Alcohol Research Centre at UNSW in Australia has found.

Bringing death into the light
15 September 2015'When Death Comes’ is a programme of events to be held in Bristol this autumn organised by a member of staff from the University.

New translational research centre celebrates its topping-out15 September 2015A new national research facility aligned to NHS standards is currently under construction in the University of Bristol, for researchers across the UK. Its role is to get research out of the laboratory and ensure patients worldwide can access ground-breaking treatments as quickly as possible.

Rare variants in health and disease: latest Nature findings from UK10K project published14 September 2015A detailed study of the genetic data of nearly 10,000 individuals — one of the largest analyses of its kind to date — has been carried out in an effort to explore how rare differences in our genes contribute to human disease. The main findings, led by an international team including researchers from the University of Bristol’s MRC Integrative Epidemiology Unit, are reported in two papers published in Nature and Nature Communications [14 September 2015].

Celebrating 50 years of Catalan at Bristol10 September 2015To mark the 50th anniversary of the teaching of Catalan at Bristol, Dr Sally-Ann Kitts, Director of Catalan Studies, has been invited by the Catalan civic organisation, Omnium Cultural, to be their guest for the National Day of Catalonia (La Diada) events on 11 September.

Work begins to create student hub in former Habitat building9 September 2015A major £12 million project to transform the former Habitat store into a new hub for students at the University of Bristol is underway. Beacon House, the Grade 2 listed building on the corner of Queen’s Avenue and the Triangle, will become a focal point of the University’s campus when it opens in spring 2016. It will also be the first University building to be open to the public.

Study assesses mothers’ attitudes towards government activity targets for preschool children 9 September 2015Mothers who took part in a study about their attitudes towards physical activity and sedentary behaviour levels of preschool children do not feel that government targets are relevant to their child, according to new University of Bristol research. The findings, published today in the journal BMJ Open, suggests that information to help mothers make more accurate assessments of their child’s activity levels should be provided alongside the guidelines.